How do I tell my mom that I enjoy jumping out of planes?

[GooniesKid 0]

rsb5267

I realize you may have the inclination to laugh at the thread title, but it's 100% serious. I'm over halfway in getting my A license and I have not told my parents anything about what I've been up to.

My parents are both pretty conservative people that would only worry If I told them what I'm doing, so in a way I'm actually protecting them. Any insight would be great.

Not to sound crass but aren't you a grown man who can sit down with your parents and just tell them in a normal adult conversation?

[SecondRound 1]

I guess there are advantages to waiting til you are older to start. My 80 year old mother is telling my adult children "It's his money and his life, he deserves his fun. I am lucky, mom has got my back.

[rsb5267 0]

GooniesKid

***I realize you may have the inclination to laugh at the thread title, but it's 100% serious. I'm over halfway in getting my A license and I have not told my parents anything about what I've been up to.

My parents are both pretty conservative people that would only worry If I told them what I'm doing, so in a way I'm actually protecting them. Any insight would be great.

Not to sound crass but aren't you a grown man who can sit down with your parents and just tell them in a normal adult conversation?

I'm 19 and my parents pay for my college tuition. Im just hoping they don't cut my college tuition if I keep jumping!

[normiss 843]

Hey mom!
Good to see you.
Have any beer?
Need any work done around here?

Oh yeah, I started skydiving, it's really really awesome fun.

Where's dad?

[GooniesKid 0]

rsb5267

******I realize you may have the inclination to laugh at the thread title, but it's 100% serious. I'm over halfway in getting my A license and I have not told my parents anything about what I've been up to.

My parents are both pretty conservative people that would only worry If I told them what I'm doing, so in a way I'm actually protecting them. Any insight would be great.

Not to sound crass but aren't you a grown man who can sit down with your parents and just tell them in a normal adult conversation?

I'm 19 and my parents pay for my college tuition. Im just hoping they don't cut my college tuition if I keep jumping!

Oh,,ok. I'd wait on telling them until you finish college OR can find a way to pay for college yourself. That way you are not finacially "tied" to them.

I bought a motorcycle with my own funds and when I grinnfully road my new bike to my parents house to tell them they were shocked but what can they do? Tell me to give it back?

[wmw999 2,515]

Quote

Oh,,ok. I'd wait on telling them until you finish college OR can find a way to pay for college yourself. That way you are not finacially "tied" to them.

Except that you are financially tied to them -- they're paying for your college (and maybe some living expenses as well?).

As a parent, who started jumping when she was about your age, the best way to have this discussion is from a position of strength. What's that? You go to them, tell them what you've been doing, and show them the plan of how you're going to pay for it yourself, without hurting your path in college, or spending their money on it.

If you tell them "I've started skydiving, I wanted to see if it was a passing fancy and it isn't, and I'm paying for my jumps by packing parachutes/cleaning the hangar/whatever" it sounds like a mature decision considering the consequences.

Isn't that what an adult is?

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[sriddy 0]

You should have gotten into a bad motorcycle wreck before you started AFF.

"Hey mom, I started skydiving."
"Well that's gotta be safer than that damn sport bike of yours."

Worked for me...

[normiss 843]

I asked my mom once if jumping scared her.
Her response was no, not really, but I am scared when you ride your motorcycle.
I told her I would never tell her when I rode my motorcycle.
TO the drop zone.

[rsb5267 0]

wmw999

Quote

Oh,,ok. I'd wait on telling them until you finish college OR can find a way to pay for college yourself. That way you are not finacially "tied" to them.

Except that you are financially tied to them -- they're paying for your college (and maybe some living expenses as well?).

As a parent, who started jumping when she was about your age, the best way to have this discussion is from a position of strength. What's that? You go to them, tell them what you've been doing, and show them the plan of how you're going to pay for it yourself, without hurting your path in college, or spending their money on it.

If you tell them "I've started skydiving, I wanted to see if it was a passing fancy and it isn't, and I'm paying for my jumps by packing parachutes/cleaning the hangar/whatever" it sounds like a mature decision considering the consequences.

Isn't that what an adult is?

Wendy P.

I think that's my best option Wendy. I am most certainly paying for my skydives by myself; I got a job last semester at college and I also have a job this summer that pays really well.

I guess the consequence I'm most fearful of when telling them is putting added stress/worry on them. My parents are pretty up tight people (my mom more-so than my dad) and they don't really have the ability to just not let things that can't control bother them (i.e. me skydiving)

[wmw999 2,515]

Then the idea of taking them out to the DZ when you're not jumping, and showing them how the student operation runs, might well help.

Take them through the gear -- your familiarity with it, and understanding of what the pieces are for, will be additional input that this is something you're taking seriously.

In something like this, actions (like taking time to truly acquire knowledge, and knowing how you're going to pay for this) do speak louder than words.

They may not like it, but if you're approaching it as an adult, they'll respect it more. The one thing you have to take into account is what to do if they say that as long as they're paying for school, you can't skydive. Just have a plan.

My parents' rule was that if I had enough money for a car, that meant I had enough money for school on my own. It wasn't as hard-and-fast as they made it sound, but the idea was to help me prioritize financially, and it worked. As it happened, I took a year off from school, worked, saved money, got a car (a beater), started skydiving, and paid for the rest of college myself. That brought quite a bit of respect from them.

My mother came to watch me make my first jump -- her exact words were "if you're going to die, I want to be there"

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ChrisD 0]

rsb5267

I realize you may have the inclination to laugh at the thread title, but it's 100% serious. I'm over halfway in getting my A license and I have not told my parents anything about what I've been up to.

My parents are both pretty conservative people that would only worry If I told them what I'm doing, so in a way I'm actually protecting them. Any insight would be great.

This was your other post:

"Hey guys. I'm a student in training in the IAD program. I'd like to dedicate this post to discussing the mental barriers that we have all experienced while just getting started with our skydiving training. It would be very beneficial to me, personally, and all other skydiver-in-training, to hear about your difficulties as a student and how you overcame them. Thanks. "


Your killin me here kid!

Do me a favor, when it comes time for advice on sex education and how to do it, I'll be your coach as long as she is cute, and yes for performance we will have to video everything.

I am not going to give advice on how to lie to anyones parents..

I can tell you as a parent, you are hurting them more by your actions of late!

(Sounds rather "parental dosen't it?")

C

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

[crotalus01 0]

I came out and told them after my tandem that I had done it, loved and and was going to get my license. My mom hated it (and still does). Dad thought it was cool - until his first visit to the dropzone coincided with my first cutaway. He told me later that all he saw was my wadded up parachute spinning down behind a distant treeline, and he never saw me under reserve.
He doesnt discourage me but he hasnt been back since....

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[Andy9o8 2]

Quote

How do I tell my mom that I enjoy jumping out of planes?

You don't.
I didn't, and it was the best possible decision.

Ignore all these fluffy platitudes other people are offering-up in this thread; it's all chickenshit.
If there's any reason to think you shouldn't tell her, then you shouldn't tell her.

It's like your collection of bongs and porn and the sex you've had in the oddest of places. You don't tell your mom about those, do you? Of course not; you'll never tell her about them, and no harm will ever come from that sensible self-censorship.

Keep your yap shut. Some day, you'll thank me.

[Trafficdiver 8]

rsb5267

I realize you may have the inclination to laugh at the thread title, but it's 100% serious. I'm over halfway in getting my A license and I have not told my parents anything about what I've been up to.

My parents are both pretty conservative people that would only worry If I told them what I'm doing, so in a way I'm actually protecting them. Any insight would be great.

Homemade card?

[neflier 0]

Andy9o8

Quote

How do I tell my mom that I enjoy jumping out of planes?

You don't.
I didn't, and it was the best possible decision.

Ignore all these fluffy platitudes other people are offering-up in this thread; it's all chickenshit.
If there's any reason to think you shouldn't tell her, then you shouldn't tell her.

It's like your collection of bongs and porn and the sex you've had in the oddest of places. You don't tell your mom about those, do you? Of course not; you'll never tell her about them, and no harm will ever come from that sensible self-censorship.

Keep your yap shut. Some day, you'll thank me.

Sometimes that backfires. I only told a select few that I took up this sport. One of those was a high school buddy who moved 600+ miles away and hasn't seen my family in 10 years.

Last year his father passed. He came back for the funeral. Out of respect, my mom went to the wake. You can see where this is going. That was the weekend I got my A. Awkward moments followed.

Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

[Chiemel 0]

Andy9o8

Quote

How do I tell my mom that I enjoy jumping out of planes?

You don't.
I didn't, and it was the best possible decision.

Ignore all these fluffy platitudes other people are offering-up in this thread; it's all chickenshit.
If there's any reason to think you shouldn't tell her, then you shouldn't tell her.

It's like your collection of bongs and porn and the sex you've had in the oddest of places. You don't tell your mom about those, do you? Of course not; you'll never tell her about them, and no harm will ever come from that sensible self-censorship.

Keep your yap shut. Some day, you'll thank me.

2 weeks ago, a student crashed into the hangar downwind. Broke his collar bone, some ribs, and both wrists. When the DZO called his emergency contact, his wife, her answer was "what the hell was he doing at DZ xxx". She thought he was doing overtime on his job for the last 8 - 9 weeks.

Let's just say she wasn't to happy about the whole thing, and he might have been better off telling her in advance.

[airtwardo 7]

Reading through some of these responses...I guess I was really lucky with my folks.

I started when I was 18 & living at home, I didn't tell them about my 1st jump - mainly because I was late & hungover for the first jump course...kinda ran out of the house and squealed tires up the street.

When I got home I showed them my logbook...two whole jumps in it!

My dad was a bit upset - he said he would have liked to go along and watch!

SO...he came with me the next day, brought beer for the DZ and took tons of pictures.

He & my mom would actually stop by the DZ sometimes even if I wasn't there.

LIKE a few others have said...mom was real happy about me having to sell my motorcycle so I could afford a rig.

My folks were cool...they would give me a 'budget' and the Para-gear catalogue at Christmas & birthdays. For my Goldwings, dad found a really nice Swiss military airborne hook-knife, had it engraved with my name - date - and Goldwings.

INCLUDING my parents in my life always made for a close relationship...if ya wanna be treated like grown up - act like one. Tell them.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[DHemer 0]

Hmmm maybe I'm lucky, my parents barely said more than try not to kill yourself and told me to have fun
They ask how things are going etc.
The fact I am financially independent and not living at home means that there is little they could have said to stop me so acceptance is easier

[Andy9o8 2]

Every married man knows that telling the wife in advance equates asking for permission, and he obviously knew that her answer would be Fuck No.

[airtwardo 7]

Andy9o8

Every married man knows that telling the wife in advance equates asking for permission, and he obviously knew that her answer would be Fuck No.

...not EVERY married man.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[GooniesKid 0]

airtwardo

***Every married man knows that telling the wife in advance equates asking for permission, and he obviously knew that her answer would be Fuck No.

...not EVERY married man.

and this is why i am no a married man.

why should i settle for 1 prospect when I can have many?

[Remster 30]

As long as you don't come out as a wingsuiter, she'll probably accept you.

Remster

[airtwardo 7]

GooniesKid

******Every married man knows that telling the wife in advance equates asking for permission, and he obviously knew that her answer would be Fuck No.

...not EVERY married man.

and this is why i am no a married man.

why should i settle for 1 prospect when I can have many?

No worries ~ as long as you see women a 'prospects' you won't be getting married...

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Squeak 17]

airtwardo

***Every married man knows that telling the wife in advance equates asking for permission, and he obviously knew that her answer would be Fuck No.

...not EVERY married man. nope

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[PutaDC 0]

The same argument could be made for any sport you could get hurt doing. Is it ok that you get hurt or die mountain biking? Mountain climbing? The guy just needs to act like an adult and do whatever he wants to do. My parents would feel the same whether I was hurt in a car accident, bike accident or crossing the street.
Asking us how to tell his Mom he skydives? How old are you? 15??
Tell her or don't tell her. Your call.

"Walking near the edge makes you feel like a new man, and this new man wants to walk even closer to the edge!"